Feeding means for sealing pads for receptacle closure caps



Jan. 21, 1936. l A, HN 2,028,218

FEEDINGMEANS FOR SEALING PADS FOR RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS Filed March 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7 a 7' 11A LIHUIHNSUN j f T T ORNEY Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FEEDING MEANS FOR SEALING PADS FOR RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS Claims.

This invention relates to means for feeding sealing disks or pads by gravity to apparatus for assembling the disks in closure caps and particularly the stacking of the disks preparatory to the 5 delivery of the disks by gravity to the assembling apparatus whereby the assembling of the disks in the closure caps is greatly facilitated, and it is the principal object of the invention to provide feeding means for this purpose which is simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide vibrating means to efiect a proper stacking of the disks in juxtaposed relation and prevent the 5 jamming of the disks during the delivery of disks from the stack to the assembling apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to arrange the different operating parts for feeding the disks so that the parts are actuated from the same 20 drive shaft.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a casing to contain sealing disks for closure cap which casing may be arranged with a hopper in let and a funnel shaped bottom having an "outlet through the apex leading to a discharge tube arranged with a section fulcrumed at one end in a fixedly supported section of the tube in' which the disks are stacked and extending to means of closure cap assembling apparatus to feed the 30 disks stacked in said tube section to closure caps,

the end of the first tube section opposite its fulcrum support being adjacent the casing outlet and adapted to be reciprocated in a direction transversely of the axis of the casing outlet to 35 rock or vibrate said tube section on its fulcrum supported end to agitate and cause the disks to be properly stacked in contiguous superposed relation in the fixed tube section, the disks being agitated in the casing and alined with the cas- 40 ing outlet for delivery therethrough by a finger continuously revolving in an orbit about the periphery'of said outlet by the drive means of the a tube reciprocating means. I

In the drawings accompanying and forming a 4 part of this application, Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, to show the means for agi- I in the accompanying drawings is specially adapted to feed sealing pads for receptacle closure caps, comprising disks D of suitable yielding material, such as comminuted or solid cork, and in carrying out said invention there is provided a 5 circular casing 4 open and having an outwardly flaring flange portion 5 at the top for the releasable mounting of a hopper shaped member 6 to facilitate filling the sealing pads into the casing. The bottom portion of the casing is arranged 1 with a funnel shaped discharge outlet section I having a vertical wall portion 8 at the base thereof having a diameter equal to the diameter of the casing and said vertical wall portion 8 being releasably retained in abutting relation with the lower edge of the casing wall bymembers 9 attached at one end on the casing wall and the opposite ends connectedto the vertical wall portion 8 of the funnel outlet member by thumb screws passed through perforations in the memhere and screw threaded into said vertical wall portion 8, as at In in Figure 3, whereby the funnel shaped outlet section I may be readily disassembled from the casing 4 by removing the thumb screws. The apex end of the funnel shaped outlet section I is arranged with an outlet opening having an annular member mounted therein, the opening inwhich member constituting the outlet opening and is slightly larger than the diameter of the disks D to be delivered from the casing, said member having an interior concave surface about the periphery thereof, as at l l in Figure 1, to facilitate the directing and positioning of the disks D into register with the opening therein. Exteriorly of the outlet opening the funnel section 1 is provided with a wall portion of increased thickness, as shown at l2 in Figure 1, having a tubular portion l3 extending therefrom with the bore in alinement with and of slightly greater diameter than the outlet opening. a

The casing issupported in elevated position relative to the closure cap assembling apparatus, so that the disks D are delivered by gravity to said apparatus, by a pillar or post l4, only the upper end of which is shown in Figure 1. A 5 bracket i5 is adjustably mounted on the post by a sleeve portion [6 of said bracket slidably engaged on the post and retained in adjusted position by a'set-screw l I threaded into the sleeve to abut the post and a set screw is threaded in an 50 extension of a collar l9 to have adjustment in a vertical direction to abut the end of the set-screw against the lower side of the bracket, the setscrew l8 being retained in bracket abutting and supporting position by a lock nut 2ll threaded onto the set-screw and abutting the underface of the extension of collar I9, the collar I9 being slidably mounted on the post I4 and retained in adjusted position by a set-screw 2i The bracket I5 is arranged with a boss 22 having an opening for the engagement of the tubular portion I3 of the funnel section 7 and said boss abutting the underface of the Wall portion I2 of increased thickness of the funnel section to support the casing by the bracket, the tubular portion I 3 being releasably retained in the boss 22 by a setscrew 23 threaded into the wall of the boss with the free end engaging a recess in the exterior surface of the tubular portion I3 of the funnel section, as at 24 in Figure 1.

To facilitate the delivery of the sealing pads or disks from the funnel section I through the opening II, there is provided means to agitate and position the disks relative to outlet ll, comprising a head 25 fixed to one end of a shaft 26 rotatably mounted in axial alinement with the opening II in an elongated bearing member 21 arranged at a right angle to a bar 28 extending transversely of the casing and relative to a channel wall 45 to form a housing supported by the funnel section by one end resting on the top edge of said funnel section I; as at 29 in Figure 1, and the opposite end of the bar 28 flanged and extended in juxtaposed relation to the vertical wall portion 8 of the funnel section and adapted for the. engagement of a bolt, as at 30 in Figure 1, to secure the housing formed by the bar 28 and channel wall 45 in position. The bearing member 2? is substantially the length of the shaft 26 to prevent the shaft from being bent by stresses and strains of driving means applied to the end of the shaft opposite the head during the actuation of the agitator, as hereinafter described. The agitating and directing means comprises a finger 3i in the form of a rod secured at one end, as by a screw threaded connection, in the head, as at 32, to project at an angle from the head with the free end portion of the rod bent to extend parallelly of the axis of the outlet opening i! and the end beveled to correspond with the angle of inclination of the wall of the funnel section I, whereby said finger during the rotation of the head will revolve in an orbit about the opening II and therebyagitate and position the disks lying about the opening I I into register with said opening todrop therethrough by gravity, the head and the finger agitating and directing the disks toward the opening. It is to be understood. that the head 25 may be arranged with a plurality of fingers 3| instead of one as shown.

The head 25 is continuously rotated from a source of power, such as an electric motor, not shown, by a belt 33 (Figure 2) passed around a pulley on the motor shaft and a peripherally grooved pulley ,34 fixed on an end of shaft 35 rotatably supported in a pair of alined and spaced bearings 35 carried by brackets 3's mounted on and extending downwardly from the vertical Wall portion 3 of the funnel section, as at 38 in Figures 1 and 3. The shaft 26 carrying head 25 is operatively connected to and driven from the shaft 35 by. a belt 39 passed around a peripherally grooved pulley as fixed on the end of the shaft 26 extending above the bearing bar 28 and a similar pulley M fixed on the shaft 35 between the bearings 3S, and over intermediate idler guiding pulleys 42 loosely mounted on a shaft 43 fixed and supported at the opposite ends in arms M extended upwardly from the brackets 3'5, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The upper peripheral portions of the pulleys M! are in alinement with the pulley 10 at one end of the housing 35 to guide the belt 39 in a straight horizontal path to said pulley M, as shown in Figure l. The provision of the housing 45 prevents interference of the sealing pads in the casing with the travel of the belt 39, the housing 45 enclosing the driving means for the shaft 26 extending above the bearing bar and that portion of the belt traveling between pulleys it and 32, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

To prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft 35 in its bearings 36 the pulley H is arranged With a hub extension 6t, Figure 2, of a length whereby one side of the pulley and the end of the hub extension abut the opposite bearings and as said pulley is fixed to the shaft 35, said shaft cannot move longitudinally.

To prevent possible injury to the attendant of the apparatus a guard or housing is provided for the pulleys Q I 42 and belt 39, consisting of a plate 41 removably attached to flanges 3? extended laterally from bearing brackets 3?.

The sealing pads or disks D discharged from the casing by the revolving finger or fingers (ii are stacked in superposed relation in a tube 39 (Figurel) for delivery to means for assembling in closure caps (not shown), said tube being mounted in a fixed position in an angle arm 53 fixed at one end to and extended downwardly from the bracket I5 by bolts 55, the opposite end of the arm having a semi-circular recess for engagement of a side of the tube 49, and the tube being secured in the recess by a plate 52 having an intermediate semi-circular recess corresponding to the recess in the arm releasably mounted at the ends on the arm, as by bolts 53, with the recess in said plate engaging the opposite side of the tube 49 and clamping the same to the arm 5%, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The tube $9 is arranged with a longitudinal sight slot 55 to inspect and readily ascertain the quantity of disks in the tube.

To properly stack the disks D in the delivery tube 49 in fiat horizontal position whereby the disks may readily slide down the same and be delivered to the means for assembling the pads in the caps in proper horizontal position, and also prevent the jamming of the disks in the tube by the disks assuming an angular position relative to the horizontal, the delivery tube is adapted to agitate the disks as they are discharged therein from the casing by vibrating the entrance end of the tube. This vibrating of the tube is accomplished by terminating the entrance end of tube 49 in spaced relation to the casing outlet II and the tubular extension 53 of the funnel member I and providing a section of tubing of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of tube 39 loosely supported in an enlarged annular seat formed in the entrance end of the discharge tube 49 by annularly increasing the diameter of said end of the tube to arrange a shoulder for the engagement of an end of the tubing 55, as at 56 in Figure 1, thus in effect forming a fulcrum support for the tubing 55 upon which it may be rocked and vibrate the tubing.

The fulcrum supported tubing 55 is of a length to extend from its fulcrum support 5% into the tubular portion I3 adjacent to the outlet member I I with the end of the tubing adjacent said outlet member flanged laterally in parallel relation to the exterior peripheral wall portion about the outlet opening, as at 5?, to facilitate the entrance of the disks into the tubing 55 during the vibrating of said tubing The diameter of the tubing 55 is less than the diameter of the bore of the tubular portion l3 to permit the tubing to be rocked without interfering with the wall of said tubular portion. i

The tubing 55 is rocked by moving the flanged end 5'! thereof transversely of the casing outlet l l said end being normally urged to position laterally of the outlet opening. The means to rock the tubing 55 comprises a rod 58 slidably mounted in a portion 59 of reduceddiameter of a bore 60 extended horizontally into the wall portion of increased thickness l2 of the funnel section I to an annular enlargement 6| of the bore of the tubular portion l3 at the juncture thereof with the casing outlet II. The inner end of the rod extending into the annular enlargement 6! is reduced in diameter and engages a correspondingly formed recess, as at 62, in a ring 63 loosely encircling the tubing 55 in abutting relation to the tubing flange 51 and within the annular enlargement 6| of the tubular portion IS. The rod 58 is yieldingly urged toward the ring 63 by a spring 64 coiled about the rod with one end abutting an annular shoulder 65 extending laterally of the rod intermediate the ends thereof and the opposite end of the spring engaging a-cover plate 66 for the bore 60 having a cylindrical portion 61 in alinement with the bore 60 for the slidable engagement of the outer end of the rod 58 to form a bearing support therefor, the cover plate beingreleasably secured to the wall portion l2 by screws 68, Figure 1. The shoulder 65 of the rod 58 is arranged at a distance from the rod connection 62 with the ring 63 to permit movement of the rod to position the ring in contiguous relation to the wall portion of the enlargement 6| of the tubular portion I3 diametrically opposite the reduced bore portion 59 and position the flanged end of the tubing 55 in one of its extreme lateral positions, the shoulder 65 acting as a stop limiting this movement of the rod 58 and properly positioning the tubing laterally of the outlet opening I I; The flanged end of the tubing 55 is intermittently actuated laterally in a direction toward the rod 58 against the tension of spring 64 by a plunger 69 having the opposite end portions ofidiiferent diameters slidably mounted in a bore 10 extended horizontally through the wall portion I! in alinement with the bore 59, 60, and having two diameters corresponding to the plunger 69 with the portion of larger diameter having a key connection with theplunger, as at H; toprevent turning but permit reciprocation of said plunger. The end of smaller diameter of the plunger 69 is connected to the ring 63 in opposed relation to the connection 62 of the rod 58 with the ring and in in a manner similar to said connection, as at 12. The plunger 69 is periodically moved toward the tubing by a multiple cam faced wheel in the form of hexahedral disk 13 mounted on the hub extension 46 of the pulley 4| juxtaposed to the pulley 4 I, and secured to said pulley by screws 14, whereby the disk is rotated simultaneously with the agitating finger 3|. The corners of the disk which are squared, as at 15, are successively engaged with a roller I6 rotatably mounted ina bifurcated portion 11 extended from the end of larger diameter of the plunger 69 and thereby imparting longitudinal movement to the plunger against the tension of spring 64, the roller 16 following the cam edge of disk I3 under the infiuence of the spring 64. By the movements of rod 58 and plunger 69 the tubing 55 is continu- Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

' 1. In feeding means for sealing pads for receptacle closure caps, a hopper having a funnel shaped bottom with an outlet through the apex thereof having a diameter slightly greater than the pads, means rotatably supported in the hopper co-axially of and above the outlet and extending adjacent to the bottom concentrically of and revoluble about the hopper outlet to agitate and effect delivery of the pads through the hopper outlet, a tube having a diameter less than the hopper outlet and slightly greater than the pads and a fulcrum support at one end axially of the outlet and the opposite end juxtaposed to the hopper outlet to receive pads therefrom, a yieldably mounted rod connected to the end of the tube juxtaposed to the hopper outlet and yieldingly urging said end of the tube in one direction to predetermined position laterally of the hopper outlet, a plunger connected to the tube diametrically opposite to said rod, and means to intermittently actuate the plunger and move the tube in a direction opposite to and against the yielding force of the rod to impart vibratory movement to the tube and effect a stacking of the pads in the tube delivered through the hopper outlet.

2. Feeding means for sealing pads for receptacle closure caps as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating means for the plunger comprises a disk rotatable in a plane coincident with the axis of the plunger having multiple cam faces about the periphery to co-operate with said plunger.

3. In feeding means for sealing disks for receptacle closure caps, a hopper having a funnel shaped bottom with an outlet through the apex thereof, a tube fulcrumed at one end co-axially of the outlet with the opposite end contiguous to the bottom of the hopper and communicating with the hopper outlet to receive disks therefrom, a ring loosely engaged on the end of the tube contiguous to the hopper outlet, yielding means to normally exert a force on the ring to rock the tube on its fulcrum support and position the end of the tube communicating with the hopper outlet to one side of said outlet, and reciprocatory means connected to the ring in opposed relation to the yielding means adapted to rock the tube and move said end of the tube transversely to the opposite side of the hopper outlet against the force of the yielding means and thereby agitate the disks delivered into the tube and effect a stacking of the disks in superposed relation in the tube.

' 4. In feeding means for sealing pads for receptacle closure caps, a casing having a funnelshaped bottom and an outlet through the apex thereof having a diameter slightly greater than the pads, means in the casing revoluble about the outlet on an axis co-axially of the outlet to agitate and cause delivery of the pads through the outlet, a tube supported to have movement at one end co-axially of the outlet with the opposite end juxtaposed to the casing outlet to receive the pads therefrom, means to yieldingly urge said end of the tube in a direction laterally of the outlet, and means to intermittently impart movement to the tube, against said yielding means in, the opposite direction laterally of the outlet to vibrate the tube and thereby effect a stacking of the pads therein. 7

5. Infeeding meansfor sealing pads for receptacle closure caps, a hopper having an outlet at the bottom thereof, means rotatably mounted in the hopper on an axis eo-axially of the hopper outlet and arranged to agitate and cause delivery of the pads through the outlet, a tube supported at one end co-axially of the hopper outlet with the opposite end juxtaposed to the hopper outlet to receive the pads therefrom, means to yieldingly urge said opposite end of the tube in a direction laterally of the hopper outlet, means to impart intermittent movement to the tube a ainst said yielding means in the opposite direction laterally of the outlet to vibrate the tube and efiect a stacking of the pads therein, and means to simultaneously rotate the pad agitating means in the hopper and actuate the tube vibrating means.

'JOHN A. JOHNSON. 

